Update: Lamborghini Estoque

After last week’s teaser shots of the Lamborghini Estoque, the firm’s show car for this week’s Paris show, these sketches are the first genuine evidence that the company is about to introduce a four-door super saloon. These drawings come from within Lamborghini's Centro Stile design studio, and prove that the company is determined to take on the Porsche Panamera with a big four-seater that will also rival the forthcoming Aston Martin Rapide.

Called Estoque - the name of the short sword used by a matador to kill the bull at the end of a bullfight - the car is likely to go into production next year. Lamborghini boss Stephan Winkelmann has wanted to add a third model line to the firm's range since he joined in 2005.

Winkelmann has made it clear in the past that, since the Miura anniversary concept car, Lamborghini would never again show a concept car it could not build.

Autocar sources close to the project say that the car is more than just a concept, and that it has been designed to comply with with crash regulations and pedestrian protection law.

As previously reported, the new car is front-engined and - if produced - VW group insiders suggest it will be based around a version of the aluminium spaceframe that underpins the Audi A8.

Expect a version of Lamborghinis V10 engine under the bonnet (it’s front-engined) rather than the more powerful V12 from the Murcielago. That engine is considered to be too unrefined for an ultra-expensive saloon.

Lets not forget that Porsche has only just acquired theoretical control of the VW group, and it will be a while before they can fully controlmanagement decisions. This concept has probably been in the drawig for a while, so perhaps has not yet had a reaction from the board of Porsche.

The other, and mroesignificant point is that this is a very small market that Porsche and Aston are hoping to create. I am sure there is enough demand amongst the super rich to absorb another limited run product like this. I guess Lamborghini is unlikely to make more than a few thousand of these, if that.

They made over 4Billion Euros in profit last year. Both Ford and GM LOST that amount of money in 3 months.

Now I don't particularly like what VW do as far as Platform and unit sharing across rtheir brands, but you cannot deny it seems to have been fairly successfull. Every major manufacturer now does this to save on costs, its now just a case of how well you can hide it.

On to the Lambo. Surely this has got to be a 2 door GT to take on the 599//DB9 etc.

Be that as it may, 34% of VW group is owned by Porsche. Wendling Weidking (check spelling!) Prosche CEO, sits on both boards. Porsche are the largest single shareholder in VW group. It's not ownership but it is enough to control the business' direction.